New Jersey Attorney General Admits Stun Gun Ban is Unconstitutional

In a letter to federal judge Michael Shipp, New Jersey Attorney General Christopher Porrino admitted the state’s ban on “stun guns” is unconstitutional. Porrino went on to request a meeting with the judge to settle the case, asking for time to establish regulations governing the purchase and ownership of the self-defense tools.

Following the March decision on stun guns handed down from the U.S. Supreme Court, New Jersey now recognizes “that an outright ban on the possession of stun guns within a state, regardless of the contextual circumstances surrounding any such possession, would likely not pass constitutional muster.” A stark contrast to current New Jersey law which states, “any person who knowingly has in his possession any stun gun is guilty of a crime of the fourth degree.”

In the letter to Shipp obtained by NJ Advance Media on Thursday, Porrino acknowledged the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, and called for “time to issue reasonable regulations related to the possession, use, and sale of stun guns before such a settlement would effectively abrogate the State’s current outright stun gun ban.”

Any new regulations on the ownership and carriage of stun guns would be written by “the Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police under his authority to issue regulations governing both firearms and weapons,” and not the Legislature, Porrino wrote.

“We have once again proven that New Jersey’s draconian laws are unconstitutional and a violation of our natural rights to be able to protect ourselves,” said Alexander Roubian, executive director of the New Jersey Second Amendment Society.

“Common sense should have prevailed after Carol Bowne was defenseless against her violent ex-boyfriend who knew that she would be defenseless and an easy target,” Roubian continued. “How many women need to die before the New Jersey legislators wake up and realize their current and proposed laws only create victim-hood? While tens of millions of women across America are protecting themselves, New Jersey is only assuring that they are defenseless prey.”

Born and raised in northern rural Wisconsin, she is an avid outdoors woman, target and skeet shooter, Second Amendment supporter and defender, concealed carry advocate, NRA member and frequent guest on the NRATV News programs Cam&Co and CNLive.
Jenn is a wife and mother, former private detective, active in WI politics, and an outspoken conservative gun owner. Her personal blog can be found on jennjacques.com and you can follow her on Twitter at @JennJacques.